Des Moines, IA vs Atlanta, GA
Moving from Des Moines to Atlanta? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($296,070 → $382,938 median home) and taxes.
Des Moines vs Atlanta at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Des Moines, IA, you'd need about $108,333 in Atlanta, GA (+$8,333).
Livability — Des Moines, IA: 68 · Atlanta, GA: 66 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,787 sqft in Des Moines vs 2,677 sqft in Atlanta ($179 vs $187 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Des Moines, IA | Atlanta, GA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $15,516 | $22,080 | +$6,564 |
| Groceries | $4,831 | $4,926 | +$95 |
| Transportation | $3,150 | $3,515 | +$365 |
| Utilities | $1,500 | $1,656 | +$156 |
| Insurance | $1,700 | $2,100 | +$400 |
| Taxes | $10,265 | $10,533 | +$268 |
| Total | $36,962 | $44,810 | +$7,848 |
Side by side
| Metric | Des Moines, IA | Atlanta, GA |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 92.8 | 100.5 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.14% | 5.04% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 14.2% | 6.9% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 45 | 56 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.28 | $5.72 |
| Median home price | $296,070 | $382,938 |
| Home price ÷ income | 3.7× | 4.6× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 1.2% | -2.1% |
| Price per square foot | $179 | $187 |
| Median rent | $1,293 | $1,840 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 11.2% | 8.9% |
| Combined sales tax | 6.94% | 7.38% |
| Capital gains tax | 3.80% | 5.39% |
| Property tax rate | 1.71% | 0.85% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,400 | $6,400 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $11,000 | $9,500 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.00% | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 21 | 32 |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,700 | $2,100 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,200 | $1,900 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $700 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 13.9 | 15.4 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.10 | 3.15 |
| Violent crime /100k | 300 | 370 |
| Avg summer high °F | 85 | 89 |
| Avg winter low °F | 12 | 34 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 2 |